Automatic fluid-controller



APPLICATION FILED JAN.3, 1919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

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WITNESS:

UNITED STAZS earner OFFICE.

HARTLEY O. BAKER, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ASSIGNGR TO THE BAKER STEAM MOTOR CAR AND MANUFACTURING 09., INC., 013 PUEBLO, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC FLUID-CONTROLLER.

Application filed January 3, 1919.

T 0 allrw ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARTLEY O. BAKER, citizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fluid- Controllers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention is an automatic controller for regulating the supply of liquid or other fluid, as in a water boiler or steam generator, such as disclosed in the application for patent on water boiler, filed even date herewith, Serial No. 269,432. This ap-- plication relates to the features of the automatic fluid controller which is disclosed in said application for patent on water boiler, it being understood that the controller herein disclosed can be used for various other purposes than in the relation to a water boiler as described and illustrated in the sister application.

It is the object of the invention to provide novel and improved automatic controller including a thermostat and valve or other controlling device operated by the thermostat, and including such a novel combination and arrangement of the component parts, that the device will be highly efficient and practical for use in water boilers and other contrivances.

A further object is the provision of such an automatic controller having a compound action, in order that it will be sensitive, provision being made whereby an accurate adjustment can be obtained to regulate the opening and closing of the valve at desired or predetermined temperatures.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide an automatic controller of the nature indicated which is simple in construction easy to manufacture, and which can be readily installed on various boilers or other appliances.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 269,433.

,valve taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

The valve 1 and thermostat 2 are in substantial parallel relation as shown, and the valve comprises a casing 3 having lateral nipples or connections a for pipes 5 and 6, said casing being provided with a valve seat 7 between said nipples or ports. A valve stem 8 is slidable through one end of the casing 3, said end of the casing being preferably provided with a stul'ling box or packing 8 embracing the stem 8 to prevent leakage and a bifurcated member 9 is threadedly or otherwise engaged on the stem 8 at the outer end thereof, being held in any adjusted position by means of a lock nut 10 on the stem. This provides for the adjustment of the controller, it being noted that when the nut 10 is loosened, the member 9 and valve stem 8 can be adjusted relatively to determine the temperature at which the valve will-open and close. The opposite end of the casing 3 has a bifurcated portion 11, and at the two extremities of the valve, levers 12 are pivoted within the bifurcated portions as at 15.

The levers 12 constitute the connections between the thermostat and valve, a link or non-movable stay 15 being pivoted as at 14, to the levers 12 to provide fulcrums therefor. The stay or strut 15 is connected to the levers 12 near those ends which are farthest away from the valve, so that the valve is connected to and located between the long arms, while the thermostat 2 is connected to and located between the short arms of the levers thus obtaining a larger relative movement of the parts of the valve than of the thermostat.

The thermostat 2 comprises an expansion and contraction tube 16 substantially parallel with the valve and located at that side the stay 15 opposite to the valve. The

ends of the tube 16 are closed and bifurcated, and are pivoted as at 17 to the short arms of the levers 12. Thus, the expansion and contraction of the tube 16 will swing the short arms of the levers away from and toward one another, respectively, and this motion is amplified at the end of the long arms of the levers to which the valve is counected. Pipes or tubes 18 are connected to the expansion tube 16 near its opposite ends for conducting water, steam or other fluid through the tube 16, to control the valve 1. In a water boiler or steam generator, the pipes 18 can be so connected thereto that water or steam flows through the tube 16, to control the supply of water to the boiler, but, as above indicated, this controller can be used for other purposes wherein the temperature of fluid flowing through the tube 16 controls a valve or equivalent device for any other purpose. As shown in Fig. 1, the

pipe 6 leads to a water tank or reservoir 19 from which the water is pumped by pump 20'through a pipe 21 leading to the boiler (not shown), the pipe 21 having a pressure check valve 22 therein requiring a predetermined pressure of the water before it can flow on through to the boiler. The pipe 5 is connected to the pipe 21 between the pump 20 and pressure check valve 22, so that when the valve is opened the water will flow through the by-pass, comprising the pipes 5 and 6, back to the tank 19, since the pressure will not rise sufliciently to open the valve 22. However, when the valve is closed, the water cannot flow through the by-pass, and the pressure will therefore accumulate and force the valve 22 open for the flow of water past said valve.

In operation, as the tube 16 expands and contracts, this will close and open the valve, respectively, with the arrangement as shown, and the pivots 18 will naturally move through a proportionately larger distance than the pivots 1'? at the ends of the thermostat. When the tube 16 expands, this separates the short arms of the levers, and moves the long arms thereoftoward one another, so that the valve "casing 3 and valve stem or member 8 are moved toward one another to seat the valve and close thepassage therethrough. Conversely, when the tube 16 contracts, this separates the long arms 12 of the levers and thereby separate the valve seat 7 and stem 8 to open the passage through the valve. The levers 12 provide a compound action, and by thus connecting opposite endsof the'tube 16 and parts of the valve with the link or stay 15 between the valve and tube, this provides an admirable arrangement because the component parts of the controller are a com- V plete. unit in themselves, and require no special supporting frame orbase, it'only ver to move therewith.

being necessary to connect the thermostat and valve in their respective pipes or conduits.

Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. An automatic controller comprising a thermostat, a stay, a pair of levers pivoted to opposite ends of said thermostat and to said stay and having ends movable toward. and away from one another by the change in length of the thermostat relatively to said stay, and a controlling means having a pair of members movable relatively to one another, and relatively to the thermostat, one of said members being connected to one lever for movement therewith and the other member being connected to the other lever for movement therewith.

2. An automatic controller comprising a thermostat, a stay, a pair of levers pivotally connected with opposite ends of the thermostat and with said stay to be swung toward and away'from one another by the change in length of the thermostat with respect to the stay, and a controlling valve having a casing and valve member, the casing being connected to one lever to move therewith and the valve being connected to the other le- 3. An automatic controller comprising an expansion tube having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a stay, a pair of levers pivotally connected to the opposite ends of said tube and stay and having ends movable toward and away from oneanother due to the change in length of the tube with respect to the stay, and controlling meansincluding' a pair of relatively movable members individually pivoted to the portions of the levers to be moved'individually' with said levers. o

4. An automatic controller comprising an expansion tube having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a stay parallel with said tube, andl a pair of levers pivotally connected with the opposite ends of said tube and stay and having ends moved toward and away from one another by the change in length of the tube with respect to the stay, and a controlling valve parallel with said tube and stay having a casing and valve member movable relatively'to one another and relatively to said-tube andstay, said casing and valve member being pivotally connected to said ends of the levers to be individually moved therewith.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARTLEY o. BAKER.

Witnesses i ISABELLE S. TOUR, SADIE E. LEVINE. 

